'Man of Steel' turns a little rusty

After the
Batman and
Star Trek franchises were rebooted, it was only a matter of time before Superman got in on
the action. Produced by Chrstopher Nolan, the man behind The Dark Knight series, and directed by
Zack Snyder,
The Man of Steel imagines Superman in the modern world, recast in a dark mold full of
doubt about himself and his superpowers.

While
The Dark Knight and
Star Trek added layers to already deep stories, Man of Steel relies too heavily on special
effects because of its weak plot development.

The cast includes Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Amy Adams and Henry Cavill. The story
reintroduces General Zod (Michael Shannon), one of the standout villains from the original
Superman II.

There is so much violence and computer-enhanced turmoil that it has a numbing effect on viewers,
according to
Dispatch critic Frank Gabrenya.

"The mayhem becomes grotesque after a while, so that one more shot of bodies flying through
concrete walls and tractor-trailers jackknifing through the air triggers mere shrugs instead of
astonishment," Gabrenya said in his review.